Clay County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Clay County, Iowa had an estimated 16,474 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,380, across 567 square miles. County output reached $1.54 bn in 2024, 570 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $2.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Clay County
How many people live in Clay County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,461
- Households7,282
- Average household size2.26
- Median household income$65,428
- Median age42.3
- Median gross rent$811 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$178,600
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,452
- Population under 183,841
- Share under 1823.3 percent
- Population 65 and over3,686
- Share 65 and over22.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,934
- Civilian labor force8,540
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.7 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties46th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2074th of 3,222
Clay County is the 46th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.3 percent against 22.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clay County
Is Clay County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202416,474
- Census 2020 base population16,380
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.57 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-56
- Births, 2024171
- Deaths, 2024202
- Natural change, 2024-31
- Net domestic migration, 2024-37
- Net international migration, 202411
- Total net migration, 2024-26
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024211
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1622nd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.57 percent since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Clay County
Where are people moving to Clay County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving442
- People arriving, from those returns772
- Tax returns filed by households leaving426
- Net household movement16
- Adjusted gross income arriving$24.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$235,000
- Average income of an arriving household$56,054
- Average income of a leaving household$57,608
- Largest single originDickinson County (63 households)
- Largest single destinationDickinson County (50 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County | 63 | 120 | $4.4 m |
| Buena Vista County | 42 | 76 | $2.4 m |
| O'Brien County | 23 | 33 | $946,000 |
Households arriving report $1,554 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Dickinson County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Clay County
What is the Clay County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.54 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.42 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.4 percent
- GDP change over five years44.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes28th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1498th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$93,550
Output grew 8.4 percent in the latest year and 44.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Clay County
Employment by industry in Clay County
- Covered employment, annual average8,534
- Establishments reporting742
- Average annual pay$53,504
- Average weekly wage$1,029
- Retail trade, employment1,344
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,353
- Manufacturing, employment657
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,110
- Wholesale trade, employment641
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$72,128
- Accommodation and food services, employment537
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,470
- Construction, employment477
- Transportation and warehousing, employment360
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,344 | 104 | $35,353 |
| Manufacturing | 657 | 28 | $60,110 |
| Wholesale trade | 641 | 61 | $72,128 |
| Accommodation and food services | 537 | 46 | $22,470 |
| Construction | 477 | 65 | $59,725 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 360 | 34 | $59,183 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 342 | 33 | $29,520 |
| Other services, except public administration | 196 | 42 | $38,902 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,344 jobs, 15.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Clay County
How many businesses are in Clay County?
- Establishments, all industries570
- Employment at those establishments7,012
- Annual payroll$334.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents34.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Clay County
Building permits in Clay County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$3.0 m
- Single family units authorized9
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$338,250
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clay County
SBA loans in Clay County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$210,060
- Median 7(a) approval$57,500
- Largest single approval$967,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)31
- Jobs per approval3.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderNorthwest Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded18
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.8 m
- Average 504 approval$432,778
- Median 504 approval$227,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval2.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved5.5
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (13)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$9.9 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Clay County
Do SBA loans in Clay County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clay County
How large is Clay County?
- Land area567 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties56th of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south23.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land29
- Establishments per square mile1.01
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Clay County
Flood risk in Clay County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Clay County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190857
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate55.6 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Clay County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Clay County (community 190857), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Clay County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 55.6 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Clay County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Clay County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,461
- Households7,282
- Average household size2.26
- Median household income$65,428
- Median age42.3
Common questions
Clay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clay County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 16,474 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,461, in 7,282 households, ranking 46th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clay County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.57 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,380, to 16,474 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 171 births against 202 deaths, with net migration of -26. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clay County?
$65,428. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $178,600, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $811 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Clay County?
570 establishments, employing 7,012 people with an annual payroll of $334.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Clay County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,344 jobs, 15.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 8,534 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,504, or $1,029 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clay County?
10 7(a) approvals totaling $2.1 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $57,500, plus 18 504 approvals worth $7.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Clay County?
9 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clay County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Clay County come from?
The largest single origin is Dickinson County, with 63 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,054 against $57,608 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Clay County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Clay County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Clay County
Cities and places in Clay.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Clay County. All 10 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | city | 11,400 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Royal | city | 585 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Everly | city | 584 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Peterson | city | 298 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fostoria | city | 181 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dickens | city | 131 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Webb | city | 102 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rossie | city | 88 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Greenville | city | 62 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gillett Grove | city | 40 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby